• Senegal to train 100 engineers, thousands in cloud computing

• Alibaba partnership to build sovereign cloud for Youth Olympics

• Initiative supports digital strategy, aims for local tech expertise

Senegal plans to train about 100 engineers and several thousand young people in cloud computing, Digital Minister Alioune Sall said, according to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).

The project is based on a partnership with China’s Alibaba Group, which has been tapped to help build a sovereign cloud infrastructure. The system will support critical data for the Youth Olympic Games, with high requirements for availability and scalability. It will also support a training programme to develop local expertise to eventually operate and maintain the systems.

“Training will begin very soon. It has not started yet because we have just finished deploying the data centre infrastructure. The equipment has been installed and tested by Senegalese and Alibaba engineers to verify mirroring and redundancy,” Sall said.

The initiative is part of preparations for the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled in Dakar from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, 2026 — the first to be held in Africa. Beyond sports infrastructure, the event requires robust digital systems, particularly for data management, accreditation and administrative services. Authorities said several digital applications are also being finalised, including tools to streamline entry procedures and manage visitor flows.

The project falls under the New Deal Technologique, the country’s digital roadmap, launched in 2025, to position Senegal as a regional technology hub. The strategy focuses on data sovereignty, digital skills training and the development of a competitive digital economy. It includes plans to train 100,000 graduates in the sector, with 90% holding certified qualifications, and to store all sensitive data within Senegal.

Beyond the Youth Olympics, authorities aim to build a sustainable digital ecosystem. By training engineers and technicians, Senegal seeks to reduce reliance on foreign expertise and lay the groundwork for locally managed infrastructure capable of supporting new services and attracting technology investment.

Samira Njoya